MLILY Mattresses Near Me Columbia, SC

COLUMBIA — "It was just one of those nights. We were sitting around, trying to figure out how we could help James. I mentioned that while we didn't have any money, we had many friends willing to donate their talents."

This is how Saul Seibert, an artist and musician from the band King Saul and the Heretics, described a fantastic evening of music, community and support at Art Bar in Columbia on June 7. The event was named Love Fest — a concert featuring nine local bands to raise money for James Wallace, a local artist and musician who has been battling AITL lymphoma for over a year.

Liz Hale Seibert, a local artist and singer with the band Brandy and the Butcher, added, "Saul (Seibert) did a lot of the heavy lifting; he coordinated all the bands, and I arranged the raffle and donated prizes to help raise funds."

Seibert further noted, "The Art Bar was fully supportive. I spoke with (owners) Andy and Clark from The Art Bar, who were more than willing to help. Our goal was to bring the art community together through art and music. It was as simple as that, and I knew the art community in Columbia would rise to the occasion."

And they did.

"We had many bands wanting to help, but scheduling everyone was challenging," Seibert said.

In the end, the Love Fest featured nine bands performing to a packed house of enthusiastic people who came not only to enjoy incredible music from local artists but, more importantly, to support Wallace in his ongoing fight against cancer.

Wallace, who was in Charleston receiving treatments the night of the event, was able to participate in the fun thanks to Greg Sword of Uncle Fester's. He set up an iPad and headphones connected via FaceTime, allowing friends to say hello and lift Wallace's spirits. Thanks to a live feed also arranged by Sword, Wallace could see and hear the bands.

Speaking to James via the iPad, he expressed his gratitude for all the support and love everyone was sending him and wished he could be there to see the bands and his friends. The event was truly a "Love Fest."

A new economic impact study conducted by the University of South Carolina’s Darla Moore School of Business concluded that South Carolina’s only gold mine has an economic impact of more than $700 million on the communities around it.

Haile Gold Mine, located near Kershaw, has an annual economic impact of $717.5 million statewide and supports thousands of jobs, according to a news release.

Highlights of the 2025 Economic and Social Impact Study include:

“These numbers emphasize the important role of Haile Gold Mine as a key economic driver in South Carolina,” Matt Warner, asset president of the mine, said in the news release. “These incredible economic contributions include jobs, wages, procurement of goods and services, and increased household spending. Together, these are fueling prosperity into our local home county, the surrounding region and our state. The average salary for a Haile team member exceeds regional incomes. This can be life changing for our local residents. We want to thank the community for trusting us to operate and contribute to the economy in such a powerful way.”

The Haile Gold Mine has a history dating back 200 years in Lancaster County, but only in 2017 did commercial production relaunch.

“Our commitment to responsible mining goes beyond simply producing gold – it’s also how we can create opportunities and benefits for our local communities,” Warner said in the release. “I couldn’t be prouder to be doing what we do while creating good, well-paying jobs, supporting local businesses and helping to strengthen our local and regional economies.”

OceanaGold‘s Haile Gold Mine is the only operating gold mine east of the Mississippi River, according to the release. The mine employs more than 800 people and produced more than 212,000 ounces of gold in 2024.

OceanaGold Corp. is an intermediate gold and copper producer. The company is listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX: OGC) and has a portfolio of four operating mines: the Haile Gold Mine; Didipio Mine in the Philippines; and the Macraes and Waihi mines in New Zealand.

More than 10,000 customers had no power Sunday morning, hours after powerful storms lashed the Midlands region of South Carolina with strong winds and heavy rain. More severe weather is in the forecast for Sunday and Monday, according to the National Weather Service.

A severe thunderstorm warning was issued for Columbia, Lexington and West Columbia, the National Weather Service said Sunday at about 10:40 a.m. The warning is in effect through 11:15 a.m., as wind gusts traveling at 60 mph and hail could rip through those areas, according to the National Weather Service.

It would be a repeat of the last series of storms, when winds moving as fast as 60 mph blasted their way through parts of the Columbia area Saturday night, some for sustained periods of 20 minutes, the National Weather Service said. This led to downed branches, trees and utility poles across the Midlands, which caused treacherous driving conditions and thousands of power outages, according to officials.

While the cleanup and repairs from Saturday night continue, Columbia area residents need to prepare for another round of storms.

Damaging winds continue to be the greatest threat in the severe weather that’s forecast to impact the area Sunday, National Weather Service meteorologists said in a morning briefing.

Activity to the west of the Midlands already started and the Columbia area could start feeling the effects in the morning, the National Weather Service said. Severe weather is most likely from 10 a.m. through 4 p.m., according to the briefing.

This round of storms is not expected to be as widespread as the ones that battered South Carolina Saturday night, but the storms that do develop Sunday will likely be strong-to-severe, meteorologists said.

The area south of the Interstate 20 corridor — running from the CSRA, toward the state line between South Carolina and Georgia, and up to the Midlands — is most likely to feel the greatest impacts of Sunday’s severe weather, according to the briefing.

Gusts exceeding 60 mph in Columbia could cause even more power outages, the National Weather Service said. Richland, Lexington and norther Calhoun counties were included in that severe thunderstorm warning.

“Boaters on Lake Murray should seek safe harbor ... (and) if outdoors, consider seeking shelter inside a building,” the National Weather Service said.

Powerful winds hit in Saluda, Edgefield and McCormick counties, where a severe thunderstorm warning was issued earlier Sunday morning.

No other warnings, watches or advisories have been issued for any part of the Midlands, but that is subject to change as the storms get closer.

Large amounts of rain are not expected to accumulate Sunday, when there’s a 40% chance of precipitation, the forecast shows. Localized amounts could be higher, especially during thunderstorms.

More of the same severe weather is forecast for the Columbia area on Monday, including the possibility of tornadoes, according to the briefing.

Damaging winds are expected during several rounds of strong storms Monday, meteorologists said. An isolated tornado also is possible, according to the briefing.

Powerful winds and tornadoes could cause considerable damage to trees and branches, in addition to mobile homes, roofs and outbuildings. Vehicles would also be under siege in the case of a tornado.

Damage to trees and branches creates the possibility of more downed power lines and further power outages.

The greatest risk of severe weather Monday is early in the afternoon and continuing through the night, according to the briefing. Monday’s storms could more closely resemble what affected the Midlands Saturday night, and might be more widespread than what’s forecast for Sunday, the National Weather Service said. Several waves of strong storms are predicted in the briefing.

Up to an inch of rain could accumulate by the times the storms wind down Monday night, the forecast shows.

The Columbia area is not expected to dry out this week, as chances of rain and showers and thunderstorms persist every day — except for Wednesday — through next weekend, according to the current long-range forecast. Conditions will also be hot, as temperatures are forecast to reach highs around 90 most days.

This is a developing story, check back for updates.

COLUMBIA, S.C. — A round of severe storms moved through the Midlands Monday evening, triggering tornado warnings and causing at least some damage.

The storms began picking up in intensity around 7:30 p.m., first moving into Saluda and Newberry Counties. They then began entering the central Midlands a little after 8 p.m. At one point, four counties were simultaneously under a tornado warning. The warnings were triggered by radar indicating rotation in the clouds.

At this time, it's unclear if there was an actual tornado. Any confirmation wouldn't come until Tuesday when National Weather Service survey teams might have a chance to go out and look at the areas where suspected storms may have struck.

There were reports of some trees down and damaged power lines. Lexington County had the most outages, with over 3,000 at the peak of the storm. Some of the most dramatic images sent to News19 were of ominous clouds near Chapin and Irmo at Lake Murray. The pictures were taken around the time that area was under a tornado warning, but again, there's no confirmation of a tornado.

As we head into Tuesday, another round of scattered storms is possible, though the overall risk for severe weather appears lower. A weak cold front will slowly move through the region, acting as a trigger for more rain and storms during the day.

By Tuesday evening, slightly drier air may push into western parts of the area, reducing storm chances there, but eastern areas could still see showers linger into the night. Temperatures will stay near normal, with highs in the middle to upper 80s and overnight lows in the 60s.

Wednesday into the weekend, the pattern begins to shift to a more typical summer setup. That means daily chances for isolated to scattered showers and storms during the afternoon and evening, nothing unusual for this time of year.

A student with special needs at a South Carolina high school was assaulted by a janitor, according to a lawsuit, which also claims school officials knew about the allegations, but kept him employed.

The student, who attended Columbia High School in Richland School District 1, was preparing the concession stand for a basketball game in January 2023 with her friend when a school janitor approached her and made sexual advances, according to the lawsuit filed May 28, before being “groped” by her breasts without her consent.

The janitor, who was not named in the lawsuit, had a reputation for making sexual comments towards and regarding minors, the lawsuit said.

The student reported the “unwanted touching” to her family, a school resource officer and law enforcement, according to the lawsuit. The State has requested any potential incident reports filed with the Richland County Sheriff’s Department regarding the lawsuit’s allegations.

She said she felt “unsafe” around the janitor.

But the janitor remained an employee of the school, the lawsuit said.

District spokesperson Karen York declined to comment on the pending case. Darius Stephens-York, attorney for the student’s parent, was not immediately available.

The lawsuit claims the student’s teachers, teacher’s aide and the Columbia High School administration failed to protect her from abuse of adult employees, which resulted in her physical assault.

Furthermore, Richland 1 and Columbia High School officials knew the janitor was dangerous and that the students could suffer harm without proper supervision of him. The hiring and retention of the employee was “reckless” and “grossly negligent,” the lawsuit alleged, and the district failed to supervise and control the employee.

The student suffered physical, mental and emotional harm and will continue to suffer from the distress caused. She and her family are seeking actual and special damages, and any other relief the court deems appropriate.